Effect of Softening Agents in the Thermal and Morphological Properties of Starch Based Bioplastics

Abstract

Plasticization of starch with 1,2,3-trihydroxy-propane (glycerol) as a softening agent (plasticiser) can replace the starch-starch bonds to starch-massive glycerol bonds, which offers stability, improved physicochemical and functional properties of starch. This study is an investigation on the thermal and morphological properties of bio plastic samples made of starch with varying plasticiser contents (8, 6.5, 5, 3.5 and 2 ml) and are evaluated by methods like thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. When plasticiser content is increased, the samples exhibited coarser polymer blend and with lower plasticiser content, the samples were found to be more fragile and brittle.